Rebekah rode up on the afternoon train, it was sunny
Her saltbox house on the coast took her mind off St. Louis
Bill was the heir to the Standard Oil name and money
And the town said, "How did a middle-class divorcée do it?"
The wedding was charming, if a little gauche There's only so far new money goes
They picked out a home and called it "Holiday House"
Their parties were tasteful, if a little loud The doctor had told him to settle down
It must have been her fault his heart gave out
* And they said, "There goes the last great American dynasty
Who knows, if she never showed up what could've been
There goes the maddest woman this town has ever seen
She had a marvelous time ruining everything."
Rebekah gave up on the Rhode Island set forever
Flew in all her Bitch Pack friends from the city
Filled the pool with champagne and swam with the big names
And blew through the money on the boys and the ballet And losing on card game bets with Dalí
( * )
They say she was seen on occasion Pacing the rocks staring out at the midnight sea
And in a feud with her neighbor She stole his dog and dyed it key lime green
Fifty years is a long time Holiday House sat quietly on that beach
Free of women with madness Their men and bad habits, and then it was bought by me
( * )
I had a marvelous time Ruining everything
A marvelous time Ruining everything
A marvelous time I had a marvelous time
